Springfield-Greene
County LibraryCompiled by Arthur Paul Moser
[I]
The "Platte Purchase", which now consists of Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Holt, Nodaway and Platte Counties, was up to 1836, an Indian Reservation...It was considered by the early settlers of Northwestern Missouri, as the natural garden of the State...Thomas H. Benton, in 1836, secured the passage of a bill removing the Indian occupants and adding this portion of their territory to Missouri...(--Campbell's Gazetteer of Missouri, 1874, p. 39.)
Andrew County was named in honor of Andrew Jackson Davis, of St. Louis, and dates its history as a separate jurisdiction from the year 1841...Following the Indian treaty which resulted in the Platte Purchase in 1836, immigration began pouring into the Platte country quite rapidly, and by the above year the settlers were sufficient to warrant the formation of a new county.
Accordingly, on the 29th of January, 1841, the following enabling act was passed by the Legislature. (The act is too long to repeat here, but it may be found on pages 15 and 16 of History of Andrew and DeKalb Counties, 1888, Goodspeed Pub. Co.)
By a supplemental act, approved January 2, 1843, "all that portion of territory now attached to Andrew County, and lying east of the Nodaway River, south of the northern boundary line of this State, and north of the township line which divides townships sixty-one and sixty-two, was organized into the county of Nodaway, which was attached to Andrew County 'for civil and military purposes, until otherwise provided by law.' "
The first term of the Andrew County Court was held at the residence of Gallant Rains, near Savannah, on the ninth day of March, 1841...
The second act of the court was the division of the county into four townships...They were Jefferson, Nodaway, Jasper...and Jackson Townships.
At the second term, March 29, 1841, quite an array of business was transacted. Among other items, it was "Ordered that the Platte River divided the township of Jasper, and all the territory east of said river to the old State boundary line shall constitute a township to be called and known by the name of Platte Township..."
Among the principal business transacted at the May term, 1841, was the modifying of the boundaries of Jasper and Platte Townships, creating Rochester Township...
At the June term, 1841, Hughes Township was created...The following places were the places designated for holding elections:
(--History of Andrew and DeKalb Counties, 1888, pp. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.)
[II]
At the first term of the county court orders were made creating Jefferson, Nodaway, Jackson and Jasper Townships. Platte Township was created a bit later in the same term, from the eastern end of Jasper, the Platte River being designated as the dividing line between the two. At the May term, 1841, it was ordered that instead of being divided by the Platte River, "the two townships shall be divided by a line commencing on the One-Hundred-and-Two River at a point dividing townships 59 and 60, due east to the county line and the southern portion thereof shall be called Rochester Township, and the northern portion shall be called Platte", the township of Jasper thus merged into the two...
Hughes Township was created at the June term, 1841...and included all that territory north of the north line of the county between the Nodaway and the One-Hundred-and-Two Rivers, "named in honor of General Andrew S. Hughes".
Buchanan Township was created out of the northern part of Jackson, Jasper and Platte Townships, May, 1842, and embraced the territory lying north of the northern line of Hughes Township between the Nodaway and the One-Hundred-and-Two Rivers. Jackson, Platte, and Buchanan were subsequently incorporated into the county of Nodaway.
Platte Township was laid out in April, 1866...As thus formed Platte Township included the eastern part of what is now Empire Township and the western part of Benton.
The boundaries of Rochester Township were fixed at the same time. The territory thus described included the present township of Monroe...
The township of Jefferson was modified in 1866...The southern tier of sections in Nodaway and the eastern part of Lincoln were included in the above description.
Lincoln Township was created in 1866...Jackson Township was created in 1866...As thus formed Jackson included the western part of Benton, all of Clay and the northern part of the present township of Jackson...
Nodaway Township was laid out in 1866...A tier of sections in the present township of Benton was included in the above boundary.
A new township was created in 1870, by the name of Grant...Grant included the greater part of what is now Benton Township and the western tier of sections in Platte. It was subsequently merged into other townships.
Washington Township was created in 1872...Its territory was subsequently divided among Benton, Nodaway and Empire Townships.
Benton Township was formed at the May term, 1872...
Empire Township was created May 10, 1872...
Clay Township was created May 10, 1872, out of the northern part of Jackson Township...
[III]
Monroe Township was created at the May term, 1872, from the southern part of Rochester Township.
That part of Jefferson Township in Congressional Township 58, Range 33, was attached to the Lincoln Township in 1872. Sections 30 and 31, Township 59, Range 35, and Section 6, Township 58, Range 35 were cut off from Jefferson and added to Lincoln Township in 1872.
It was ordered the same year "that all that part of Jefferson Township north of a line commencing on the township line between Congressional Township 59, Range 35 and Township 59, Range 36 running east on said line between Sections 20 and 29, 22 and 27, 23 and 26 and 24 and 25 until it at the west line (sic) of Rochester Township be added to Nodaway Township"... (--History of Andrew and DeKalb Counties, 1888, pp. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 27, 28.)